HELP - Editing MPEG files.

[Ben_Martin_Box]

Hi,

This is my first post here.
English is not my primary language so expect stone-age English.

This said, I’m posting here because I just received my Canon HV20 and after some recording tests I need now to isolate specific takes from that MiniDV tape to later use in a more sense movie time line.

Now I just wonder how you guys do to edit your MPEG 1440x1080 HDV files preserving the original MPEG HDV quality?

Since capturing a MiniDV tape generates a long MPEG file, how do you do to isolate specific takes and export/save them to later assemble a new lossless HDV footage (like a movie)?

Explaining:

1. Record a MiniDV tape using the Canon HV20.
2. After record the tape use the HDV/Firewire output port to export the MiniDV tape to Adobe Premiere Pro (or any different software).
3. Now that I have the full tape in a huge MPEG file how can I isolate the takes I want to export/save loosely?

How do you guys do to export/save that isolated takes lossless?
Do you export maintaining the MPEG file format?
Doesn’t this method recompress the original MPEG file “again” losing HDV quality?
Do you export the isolated takes using any other format like uncompressed AVI files? Uncompressed AVI files are not to heavy to edit in real time resulting in frame skip?

Please, I’m just starting and I’m very confused about the best way to edit and maintain HDV 1440x1080 MPEG quality imagery in extracted/isolated takes from the main HDV MPEG file.

Many thanks.

Ben

[Lambchang]

Hi Ben_Martin_Box,

I'm quite new to editing HDV too and your question as the one of the first hurdles I came to.

You don't need to chop up the big main file of footage and then encode them into smaller clips, You can simply create sub clips from your master footage. the sub clips appear as separate clips in your project and will make editing much easier.

To create sub clips In Premier Pro 2.0 bring up the master footage in the source window and use the markers to determine a clip you want to make, then just right click to bring up a menu, and choose 'create sub clip'

This video might help show what I mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5u_VJ5rsU8

good luck

[Frank]

Ben,

If you use the free utility HDVSplit, you can turn on scene detect and it will capture from your camera and divide the m2t up according to time stamp. You can further chop the clip(s) up using a tool such as VideoRedo Plus (NOT free) if necessary.

Incidentally, MPEG-2 from the HV20 takes up no more space than an equivalent length of standard def DV. It is only when you uncompress it to another format such as AVI (recommended for your final selection of takes) that the size expands to hi def dimensions.

[Ben_Martin_Box]

Thank you all very much!

Great tips!

By the way, I just found this free utility HDV Split.
It will Scene Detect your tapes.
http://strony.aster.pl/paviko/hdvsplit.htm